JSU Inaugurates John M. Beehler as 12th President
04/08/2016
Jacksonville State University inaugurated John M. Beehler as its 12th president during an investiture ceremony held on campus on April 8. It was a day Beehler never dreamed possible when he became the first in his family to attend college more than 40 years ago.
"I believe in the transformative power of higher education," Beehler told the audience gathered for the ceremony in Pete Mathews Coliseum. "It changes lives, raises expectations, gives hope for a better life, and allows people, families, regions, states and nations to achieve their potential."
Beehler assumed the presidency on July 1 following the retirement of William Meehan. Prior to taking the helm at JSU, Beehler served as dean of the School of Business at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, founding provost and vice president for academic excellence and student success at the University of North Texas at Dallas, associate provost for economic initiatives and dean of the College of Business at Northern Kentucky University, dean of the School of Business at Wichita State University, and associate dean at the University of Texas at Arlington.
A certified public accountant, Beehler earned a B.S. in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. in finance and Ph.D. in accounting and taxation from Indiana University. He is a graduate of the Harvard Institutes of Higher Education Management Development Program and the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy.
President Beehler and his wife, Dr. Pamela Beehler, have been married for more than 38 years. Mrs. Beehler has had a distinguished academic career in her own right. She holds a Ph.D. in human performance from Indiana University and has more than 30 years of university teaching and research experience. The Beehlers have one daughter, Kristin, who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and serves as a captain in the U.S. Army.